Big Al's Paint: The Al Jefferson Thread

Liver_Pooty · Post #1801 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 4:59 am

Jefferson the second half last season was great. Phenomenal and arguable the best center in the league the second half of last year. He actually moved laterally and at least attempted to play defense. So far this year he struggles to even play offense, let alone his defense. I actually kind of feel sorry for him.

Post #1802 » by **yosemiteben** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:02 am

BizGilwalker wrote:
yosemiteben wrote:
MasterIchiro wrote:It will test the Rudy Gay Theory of addition by subtraction.

Not if it's only a couple games, as evidenced by our up and down play while Lance has been out.

Lance wasn't the problem though. Without Al, our whole game plan is different and probably for the better.

I strongly disagree that Lance wasn't a problem. I'm not pinning it all on him like some do with Al, but he has not contributed like literally everyone expected him to. His shooting has been atrocious, and none of us really knows how much there is to the reports of this chemistry issue.

My point is that if Al sits and we blow out our next three opponents and then Al comes back and we lose a few games, people on here are going to go ape **** about how Al is the problem. My point is that he has to be out long enough that it's not a minuscule sample size like the three games after Lance went out were.

HornetJail · Post #1803 » by **HornetJail** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:18 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:Jefferson the second half last season was great. Phenomenal and arguable the best center in the league the second half of last year. He actually moved laterally and at least attempted to play defense. So far this year he struggles to even play offense, let alone his defense. I actually kind of feel sorry for him.

If history repeats itself, he'll be back to normal by mid-to-late January and stop being a liability and finish the season an all-nba candidate again or something. Unfortunately, it may just be too damn late for us by then. We can't keep doing this every year. Al earns his contracts based on what he does from mid January-April every year, and he's clearly a total liability at all other times of the year. He's doing something wrong in the offseasons (or simply just being a fat ass all summer) because it's a chronic issue. We're all going to be suckered into the Big Al show again once the team's all healthy. If the team hits its stride without him, we're stuck with him till 2016, because he'll be untradeable and then he'll opt in. I think we've got to trade him soon while people still remember his white hot stretch last year, otherwise this is a lose-lose scenario. I hate to say it, because I absolutely love Al, but his injury is going to open up a lot for us. Our identity as a team of athletic defensive group starts with Al's departure.

I really do feel sorry for Al because even his biggest supporters from just a couple months ago want him gone. He's got an amazing 1980s game in an era where he just can't utilize it. The only teams that need him are teams that simply want talent of any sort (basically us 18 months ago). He's maybe the best offensive center in the league when fully healthy, probably top 5 center overall, but for 2-3 months a year, he's too much of a liability to play because of his lack of athleticism and defense. It's honestly unnerving.

Post #1804 » by **yosemiteben** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:07 pm

BizGilwalker wrote:He's got an amazing 1980s game in an era where he just can't utilize it. The only teams that need him are teams that simply want talent of any sort (basically us 18 months ago). He's maybe the best offensive center in the league when fully healthy, probably top 5 center overall, but for 2-3 months a year, he's too much of a liability to play because of his lack of athleticism and defense. It's honestly unnerving.

I disagree with this, and again point to the second half of last season where he dominated. I think when fully healthy he showed that he can help carry a team.

Post #1805 » by **yosemiteben** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:09 pm

JDR720 wrote:[tweet]https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/549764385800208385[/tweet]

I honestly want him to miss several games to see how the team responds

Looking back at this tweet, is this the first suggestion we've seen that Bonnell has an inside source? Curious if someone told him that Al is being shut down or if it's just a guess.

LamarMatic7 · Post #1806 » by **LamarMatic7** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:19 pm

Sachmo wrote:I wouldn't be surprised to see Zeller start to centre as well.

Yeah, I also expect it to happen.

catch20two · Post #1807 » by **catch20two** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:22 pm

JDR720 wrote:[tweet]https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/549764385800208385[/tweet]

I honestly want him to miss several games to see how the team responds

I'm interested in seeing how we'll play without the weak link that has been a unhealthy Big Al but at the same time I'm not at all that thrilled because this mean that we'll see a lot of Maxiell at backup center instead of Vonleh. Cho shoulda found a more suitable 3rd string big than Maxiell like when Adrien was available after getting cut by the Rockets.

LamarMatic7 · Post #1808 » by **LamarMatic7** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:23 pm

yosemiteben wrote:
BizGilwalker wrote:He's got an amazing 1980s game in an era where he just can't utilize it. The only teams that need him are teams that simply want talent of any sort (basically us 18 months ago). He's maybe the best offensive center in the league when fully healthy, probably top 5 center overall, but for 2-3 months a year, he's too much of a liability to play because of his lack of athleticism and defense. It's honestly unnerving.

I disagree with this, and again point to the second half of last season where he dominated. I think when fully healthy he showed that he can help carry a team.

I really don't know about that...

Let me put it this way - if I were Al, I'd start to re-consider what am I doing with my career. If I want to win something, it might be time to become an awesome bench player or a second or third option on offense who tries to spend much more energy on defense. Because the track record of him as the leading player on a team isn't good. If he's playing the best he can (or has a Paul Millsap besides him), the ceiling of his team is barely treading above .500 and a first round sweep.

HornetJail · Post #1809 » by **HornetJail** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 4:17 pm

yosemiteben wrote:
BizGilwalker wrote:He's got an amazing 1980s game in an era where he just can't utilize it. The only teams that need him are teams that simply want talent of any sort (basically us 18 months ago). He's maybe the best offensive center in the league when fully healthy, probably top 5 center overall, but for 2-3 months a year, he's too much of a liability to play because of his lack of athleticism and defense. It's honestly unnerving.

I disagree with this, and again point to the second half of last season where he dominated. I think when fully healthy he showed that he can help carry a team.

You're not wrong... if the season started in February. Unfortunately we're two months into the season and Al isn't even in shape injury or not. Out of shape Al is a bottom 5 defensive big in the league.

Post #1810 » by **JDR720** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 6:02 pm

[tweet]https://twitter.com/rick_bonnell/status/549980776079835136[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/hornets/status/549981560200777728[/tweet]

MasterIchiro · Post #1811 » by **MasterIchiro** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 6:11 pm

Yeah he needs to not come back against Vucevic. I really wish this injury would last about a month. I know it's terrible but I am so ready to move on. I hope Lance can get back Wednesday night in Houston.

Post #1812 » by **yosemiteben** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 6:13 pm

To state the obvious, this is going to be an interesting time to be a Hornets fan.

Post #1813 » by **JDR720** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 6:17 pm

Charlotte Hornets center and leading scorer Al Jefferson will be out for the foreseable future after aggravating a groin strain in the fourth quarter of Monday’s overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jefferson was going to have a magnetic resonance imaging Tuesday to reveal the extent of the damage. But coach Steve Clifford said Tuesday that he does not anticipate Jefferson just missing one or two games with this injury. How long he’ll miss is unclear.

In Jefferson’s absence, the team plans to start Bismack Biyombo at center and will immediately bring back rookie power forward Noah Vonleh from the NBA Development League to shore up whatever depth they have among big men.

Jefferson is the centerpiece of the Hornets’ offense, averaging more than 19 points per game. In his absence, perimeter players such as point guard Kemba Walker and shooting guard Gerald Henderson will have to carry a dramatically heavier load.

Shooting guard Lance Stephenson participated in a few drills in practice Tuesday but is still not cleared to do any change-of-direction motions and appears to be far away from being ready to play. Stephenson has missed the past seven games with a pelvic sprain.

The Hornets play Wednesday in Houston and return home Friday against the Cleveland

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/1 ... News_Alert#storylink=cpy

He cant spell foreseeable but he can spell out MRI :crazy:

MasterIchiro · Post #1814 » by **MasterIchiro** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 6:29 pm

Shooting guard Lance Stephenson participated in a few drills in practice Tuesday but is still not cleared to do any change-of-direction motions and appears to be far away from being ready to play. Stephenson has missed the past seven games with a pelvic sprain

.

Dammit. We don't get to see Kemba + Lance + MKG fast break and play uptempo without Al. I wish something would go right this season. And to top it all off there are no shooters in this draft. Cho is so stupid for passing on BOTH Beal and McLemore. He should have grabbed one of them. Shooting is coveted and shooters are getting big deals (Klay, Hayward). Teams are hoarding shooters at a time when we need them and there is nothing in the horizon.

The only happy ending this season is if we win the lotto and take Okafor. That would ensure we don't commit to Al beyond next year.

Liver_Pooty · Post #1815 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:30 am

Jefferson is out at least a month according to Hornets facebook.

Time to tank now. Say all you want about Jefferson (me included), but I honestly don't see how we are going to score more than 90 a night. I might be wrong.

ammofan · Post #1816 » by **ammofan** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:32 am

This season blows.

Post #1817 » by **fatlever** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:48 am

yup, all over twitter now, jefferson out at least 4 weeks.

Liver_Pooty · Post #1818 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:50 am

Not going to lie. Im much more interested in watching our games now with him out, although we will be worse. Im very, very intrigued to see what Biyombo can do as a starter over 15 games or so.

Post #1819 » by **fatlever** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:51 am

i cant imagine jefferson opting out of that deal now that he will be missing a huge chunk of the season which will most likely slow him down a bit once he returns.

the hornets will use MKG, lance and jefferson injuries as the main excuse as to why this season was a failure, preventing them from doing what needs to be done, which stop trying to build around jefferson.

Post #1820 » by **fatlever** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:53 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:Not going to lie. Im much more interested in watching our games now with him out, although we will be worse. Im very, very intrigued to see what Biyombo can do as a starter over 15 games or so.

kemba's life is about to get much worse as teams blitz him with two defenders pretty much every time he touches the ball. getting lance back can help give us another ball handler to attack the aggressive perimeter traps we will face.

time to push the tempo as much as possible.